


Selfish

by Queerquest



Series: Kyalin oneshots [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Depression, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, Light Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, lin has trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29092671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerquest/pseuds/Queerquest
Summary: “You deserve to feel loved all the time”••••Kya doesn’t know how much those little words mean to her friend.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Kya II
Series: Kyalin oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145681
Comments: 10
Kudos: 121





	1. An unexpected visitor

Lin Beifong was a selfish woman. At Least that's what she was told or made to believe by her mother, her ex-boyfriend, her sister, and countless others. She was selfish in her actions and the way she felt her feelings. Lin had always felt things very deeply and her actions often exhibited this.

They never said these things outright. Nobody ever would, her intimidating demeanor made sure of that. Yet some things never needed to be said outright. 

The first time it happened was the night of one of the pro-bending tournaments. As chief she took the responsibility of guarding the arena from possible Equalist attacks. Tenzin being the man he was, decided he was going to help much to Lin's dismay. She fought him about it relentlessly. Tenzin only acted as if she was being crazy and irrational.

Could anyone really blame her? The Airbending master cheated on her, wasted years of their relationship and her life on a woman half their age. He never apologized not then and not in any of the many years beforehand.

It was obvious Tenzin had put it behind him, so even though she was still hurt. She let it go. What point was there in arguments about things that happened decades ago. It wasn't like she still cared about him, at least not in that way.

After a while it became easier to tell herself nothing happened. That how everything went down didn't bother her. She wasn't angry anymore and she didn't need to be.

Then, only a few years later she found herself in Zaofu helping Avatar Korra round up one of many new Airbenders. Her sister was there waiting for her, she tried to lay low, get out of the city as fast as possible but it was too late. She was there again.

There with her little sister, the one who scarred her face and then ran away. Su destroyed their mom's career, left a mark on her face and left home. After decades there was no letters, no apologies, nothing.

Toph had reached out only once years later to get the two together to talk. Lin wanted to but part of her couldn't. How could she face two of the people who hurt her most in this world? So she didn't. 

Suyin took her anger personally as she should have. But she never really understood Lin, not in the way the eldest Earthbender wanted her siblings to. Lin wanted Su to understand how badly she hurt her, hurt their family. It became obvious to her that she either didn't know or didn't care. 

Any anger or hatred she showed as a result was labeled as unnecessary. Eventually she forgave Suyin, not because she was ready, but because she couldn't handle losing anyone again. As much as hated the situation she liked having Suyin back in her life. 

But then there was her mother. Toph Beifong, who never gave her the attention she longed for while growing up in Republic City. Her mother allowed Su to become as rebellious and out of control as she got. The woman who left her right after her sister and the person she thought was the love of her life left.

She spent decades alone. Birthdays, holidays, and all other special occasions in her small apartment. After a while she managed to convince herself things were better this way. No one could hurt her if she didn't let them. Part of her longed for attention, for care from someone, anyone but she shoved it down deep where she thought no one could reach it.

No matter how much this hurt, she knew losing another person would hurt more.

For a long time it worked. She kept everyone at bay, at a distance. Even with people who she considered her friends like Korra or Tenzin she managed to stay cold and detached because what was the alternative? 

•••••••

After the turf wars of Republic City died down and the Terra Triad and all the other gangs were settled Lin found herself with a lot of free time. 

Without any paperwork to do she found herself sulking around at home listening to the radio and going through a bottle of wine. One night in particular she heard a knock on the door. The Earthbender was slightly confused, assuming it was Korra or Tenzin arriving with another Team Avatar or Republic City emergency.

When she opened the door she was pleasantly surprised to find Kya, of all people, her childhood best friend was standing by the door.

"Kya? What are you doing here?" she muttered awkwardly. "I- I wanted to talk like, old times." Kya said, leaning in to hug the Earthbender. Lin's whole body stiffened for just a moment and she couldn't help but melt into her the healer's touch. Some things never changed.

"I brought your favorite." Kya announced, holding a clear container filled with kale cookies. "Kya you didn't have to- My apartment is a mess. I-" 

"I don't care what your apartment looks like right now, Beifong. I saw what Air Temple Island looked like after you took care of it." she teased.

The two sat down and Lin offered her a glass of wine. Silence filled the air before Lin blurted out the inevitable. "Kya, what the flameo are you doing here?" she didn't mean to be rude but the damage had already been done. "I'm sorry I-"

She was interrupted by Kya's hand on hers. "No, I'm sorry." she sighed softly. "For what?" Lin asked. "You know what." 

She did, Kya left too all those years ago. She wanted to explore the world and that she did. Of course she still sent letters and gifts to her and everyone else once in a while but it was never really the same.

Yet, here she was. Apologizing to Lin, who had no idea how to take it. She didn't understand why the Waterbender wasn't mad that she snapped at her or why she didn't try to excuse her own absence. She was just sorry and she was here. 

"Lin? Are you okay?" Kya gasped as she noticed a tear running down the Earthbender's cheek. the Waterbender wasn't sure she'd ever even seen Lin cry before. "I missed you." 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You came here trying to be nice and I'm being selfish." Lin murmured wither her hands smushed across her face as Kya walked towards her. The Waterbender grabbed her wrists, lightly pulling her up to stand beside her.

"You are a lot of things Lin, but you're not selfish."  
she whispered. They stood there in the middle of the dining room for a moment. Kya wiped the tears from Lin's now damp face. "You're one of the most selfless people I know."

"Really?" Lin sighed softly, she felt her cheeks burning and thanked the dull lighting for not bringing attention to the flush that was surely present. "Really."

"Why don't we go sit?" Kya suggested. Lin hesitantly agreed, Kya sat down first holding her arms out for the Earthbender. "If you want. This makes me feel better when I'm down." Kya offered up as an explanation. 

"So you're cuddling with people other than me? I'm offended." Lin joked as Kya pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around the Metalbenders waist. "Nope. Just you." Kya mumbled.

Silence filled the air once again. This time it was comforting, and safe. Lin practically lost it as she felt Kya's fingertips run throughout her hair. "Why did you say that earlier?" Kya whispered into her ear.

"Say what?" Lin replied, snapping out of her serotonin filled haze. "you said you were being selfish but you were reacting better than anyone else would have in your situation." Kya explained.

"I don't know. It- happened a long time ago Kya, there wasn't any reason to be mad anymore." Lin said. A lesson she learned over the years was that no one was going to make her feel better, she just needed to get over it herself. 

"You can be mad. You don't have to lie to me Lin. I never wanted to hurt you, but I did. You don't have to pretend I didn't." she whispered. “I was mad, for a little bit but all those letters you wrote me? do you remember those?”

She felt the Waterbender nod against her back. “Toph and Su never wrote me, they left because of me and rarely ever bothered to even write. You left to explore the world.” She paused for a moment before continuing again.

“It had nothing to do with me and you still wrote to me. You made me feel loved and that was enough.” Kya’s jaw dropped at the last sentence and Lin gasped slightly.

“you deserve to feel loved all the time” 

Something felt different. Lin wasn’t sure if it was the way Kya was holding her, or how she was talking to her. Maybe it was simply the fact she was here after all these years, she knew it was time to do something that should have happened a long time ago.

She shifted her body around to face Kya, letting one hand fall on the Waterbender’s cheek and the other trial against her waist.

“Well I feel loved now, and that’s as good a start as any.” she whispered, coming closer to the Waterbender’s face until their lips brushed against each other. It was overwhelming and underwhelming all at once, the heat radiated off of both of them as tongues scraped against teeth and bodies rubbed against each other.

When they finally broke from the kiss, both were clearly at a loss for words. “This has been really nice, did you want to... maybe stay the night- unless you had something else planned?” Lin stuttered, Kya could tell she was starting to panic.

“Hey, Hey deep breaths. Of course I want to spend the night with you.” she assured Lin multiple times before kissing her cheek and burying her face in the crook of the Earthbender’s neck. “Goodnight Kya.” Lin mumbled as she placed her hands on the older woman’s back. “Night Linny.” Kya mumbled through a yawn, whilst reciprocating the soft touches and melting into her new lover.

For the first time since Lin could remember, she felt safe. Safe trusting herself with Kya who made her feel validated in every single way. Sleep came easily that night because she knew Kya would be there in her arms in the morning


	2. the next morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya and Lin have a talk about what happened the night before and what it means for them now.

The sun shone on Lin's face. The bright light caused her eyes to strain in a way that normally would have annoyed her. Today however, she couldn't even bother to move from her place on the couch. 

Because Kya was there, arms wrapped around her waist, breathing softly onto her chest. She didn't dare move, not until she felt the Water stifle and lift her head up. 

Lin was surprised by how happy Kya looked so early in the morning. The Earthbender couldn't fathom how beautiful she was. Her long gray hair was still in a messy ponytail and her dress rode up slightly exposing her thighs. Kya let out a small giggle as she leaned forward to kiss her. 

It hadn't been more than 12 hours but Lin already missed those lips. She still wasn't exactly sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. It wasn't something she wanted to think about, not now. 

Not while Kya was on top of her, running her fingers through her hair that had been worked out of the tight bun she normally had it in throughout the night. Some things can wait, this was definitely one of them.

"Good morning." Lin sighed, as Kya broke from the kiss. Kya could tell the Earthbender was still nervous, and frankly she felt the same. She hadn't been expecting that she'd end up huddled in her apartment and kissing her lips. Obviously things didn't go to plan.

Not that she thought it was a bad thing. She really didn't know what to think.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Lin inquired, rising from the couch and stretching her arms out.

"That would be great." 

After a minute or two of rubbing her eyes and adjusting to the vastly different environment of Lin's apartment she got up to help her dish something up.

She realized that she had never been to Lin's place, most of that being her own fault. Up until now she was too afraid to try and make amends with her. Kya hadn't been sure if Lin was still angry with how and why she left. Spirits, even now she still wasn't.

Of course Lin seemed okay, but she knew she couldn't rely on simple face value when it came to her childhood friend. As much as Kya loved everything about Lin, she hated that she kept all her feelings in until they overflowed. It wasn't healthy, and it was saddening for her to watch.

Almost as if they had never been apart, Kya and Lin worked together to make their favorite Water Tribe dish. Sure it was a meal meant for dinner, but neither of them were really ever picky about those things.

Kya quickly learned the outlines of her kitchen, and started washing the dirty dishes the two had made while seasoning and prepping the meat and noodles. After awhile she sat on the counter beside Lin while she stirred and checked on the food occasionally.

"I kissed you last night." she said casually, turning the heat up and covering the pot to let the dish simmer.

"You did. Do you want to talk about it?" Kya teased.

"Yeah." Lin choked out. Kya sensed a bit of uncertainty in her tone, she knew what it was about. 

"I didn't know. I never would have left if I did." she admitted. The fact she couldn't find it within herself to speak louder than a whisper, even in the privacy of Lin's apartment shocked her. 

"I didn't realize you felt the same. Either way it was a shitty thing to do, friend, girlfriend, or whatever. It was wrong."

"Girlfriend?" The Earthbender visibly perked up as a result of the simple words. She knowingly looked towards Kya, who was mortified.

“I- uh... Well- if you...” She winced, only managing to force a half witted grin.

“I like the sound of that.” 

“Girlfriend.” she said once again, smiling at how the words felt coming out from her own mouth. 

“If that’s what you want?” 

“Yes.”

“Lin?” Kya asked quietly, as the Earthbender stood between her legs. 

“mmm?” Lin hummed through a shared kiss.

“Thank you for giving me another chance.”

‘Lin beifong couldn’t be selfish if she tried’ she thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around the Metalbenders waist smiling into yet another much needed kiss.


End file.
